I want to publicly apologize for this blogpost. I wrote this almost 3 years ago and a lot has changed since then. My faith has grown. My thinking has gotten broader. I have listened to more stories of the people around me. I have learned that the kingdom of God is much more expansive and inclusive than I ever thought. I publicly affirm the LGBTQ+ community. I no longer believe that people in the LGTBQ+ community are sinning for being who they were created to be. We must all work to decrease the injustices that this community face. It is a problem that Christians should be on the front lines helping to fix. I apologize if this post hurt any of the people I love. I leave it up now, only as a testament to show that people can change. I have changed.
As I am sure that you have heard, Bruce Jenner has officially started his transition into becoming Caitlyn. I know there are lots of opinions being thrown around. Some people say that she is brave and courageous to finally be who she was made to be. Others say that he is a man and that he is disgusting trying to change that.The truth is, I don't have all the answers.
I am not going to play God and say that I know exactly what is right and wrong. I'm not going to say that Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner is crazy and delusional. I'm not going to say that he (she) was born that way or not. I don't know. There is scientific evidence on both sides. I also don't know enough to say one way or the other. I don't know whether Bruce (Caitlyn) just wants attention. I don't know whether Bruce (Caitlyn) is just trying to find his (her) place in the world. All of this controversy makes me think. If I had a child someday who came to me and said that they were transgender, what would I say?
"I love you. And that will never change."
 |
I would then tell them of all the pain in this world. I would share with them stories from my life and how I have struggled to cope with pain. Depression. Cutting. Eating disorders. Feelings of loss. Lonely thoughts. Suicide. These would all be topics that I would share with them. I have never struggled with being gay or transgender. But, I do know what it feels like to be out of place. I know how it is to look around the world and wish that you were "normal." But, normal is overrated.
1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
I am not "normal." I am chosen. Jesus has saved me. He has rescued me. He has given me a purpose and a reason. He has made me to praise Him to the end of my days and beyond. That is my identity. That is your identity if you choose it. I have struggled with this a lot. Is my identity in my depression? Cutting? Eating disorders? Is my identity in my looks? Family? Profession? No. The answer cannot possibly be yes. We live in a mixed up world. We do not belong here. We belong with Jesus in Heaven. We are created on this earth for a specific purpose. We are to glorify God and lead others to Him. However, for as long as we are on this earth, we will struggle. We will feel out of place. We can only get through it if our feet are on solid ground, if our identities are in Christ.
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority" (Colossians 2:9-10)
In Christ, we are full. We don't need to wrestle with our identities. If my child told me that they were transgender, I would tell them to lean on Christ. I would encourage them to pour through Scripture and discover how loved they are by their Creator, who doesn't make any mistakes. Their pain may not go away. They may always struggle with feelings of being another gender. But, I would encourage them to rely on Christ to not give into sin.
Romans 6:6 says, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin."
I believe that our bodies can trick us. We live in a sinful world. Sometimes we long for relief and, in the process, fall into the trap of sexual sins. And, from what I have studied in Scripture, I do believe that acting on gay or transgender tendencies is wrong. I also believe that it would be wrong for a straight couple to have sex outside of marriage. These issues are one and the same. I don't understand why it is always wrong to act on gay or transgender feelings and okay to act on heterosexual attractions in marriage. It's easy to wish that all people could just be happy, regardless of who they love. That is where I have to trust God that He knows best. But, I will not slam people who struggle with gay or transgender feelings. I make a lot of mistakes. I sin all of the time. I do not believe that being gay or transgender is the ultimate sin. Regardless of what sins we make, Christ calls us to be crucified in our sinful desires so that we will be free.
The truth is, when we try so desperately to fit into this world, we become chained, in our pain, to sin.
Satan knows this. He wants us to destroy ourselves in the process. But, Jesus came to set us free. He came to adopt us as sons and daughters of the King. Jesus came to love and not condemn. He came to show us His perfect will. I may not understand why Bruce (Caitlyn) must struggle with feeling like a woman. And, if my child struggled with being transgender, I wouldn't understand why either. In fact, I would do anything to take their pain away. But, I have faith that Christ has a bigger plan. My job is not to condemn. My job is to love, to point them to truth, and to pray without ceasing. I will not cast the first stone of hatred at a hurting person. I will not make someone feel worthless because of their struggles. I would not want someone to trivialize my pain with senseless statements like, "He (she) just wants attention. He (she) is going to hell. He (she) should be ashamed."
Only love today. Only love today because Jesus, in His glorious mercy and grace, loved me first.
I will not cast the first stone. Will you?
